#34 Mindset
The Ongoing War with the Monkey Mind
We are constantly at war with our monkey mind.
It’s an ongoing battle, whether you choose to recognize it or not.
But…what is the monkey mind?
How do we know if the monkey mind is steering the ship or if our best, discerning self is in control?
Daniel Kahneman’s best selling “Thinking Fast and Slow”1 introduces two systems; the automatic, impulsive System 1 and the thoughtful, discerning System 2.
System 1 is the monkey mind.
Kahneman’s work is top-notch.
I prefer Dr. Jeff Spencer’s version. Like Kahneman, he suggests there are two mentalities: the impulsive human mindset and the discerning, trainable Champion’s mind.
Watching the video below might be the most valuable twenty three minutes of your life. It’s from a conversation between Jeff and. I clipped myself out - for your benefit ;).
Here’s a graphic to reference in the future (after watching the video above)
There is no “fix your mindset, bro”.
There is nothing broken to fix.
It’s an ongoing battle between your monkey mind (human mindset) and your best self (the Champion’s Mind). The objective is to make more decisions especially important ones, from the Champion’s mind - even though the Human Mindset gets first dibs.
From Human Mentalities - The Human Mindset vs The Champions Mind With Dr. Jeff Spencer2
Humans are interesting because we are a walking contradiction.
We WANT new, we NEED new and yet we reject new because it’s unknown.
We want to move forward and focus on gain, but approach situations more concerned about what we might lose.
We want to be more like others, failing to recognize that we are our own greatest asset.
We wish for more success and more talent, but neglect discipline and readiness.
We want to win, but instead we whine.
Here’s why most people don’t succeed at achieving their goals:
We aspire to be champions, but maintain the mindset of a human; our survival mechanism mindset that relies on default belief systems.
Human Mindset:
Impulsive. Frustrated. Mediocre.
Champions Mindset:
Prudent. Prolific. Extraordinary.
And the most successful people in the world know that they need a roadmap to keep them tapped into the Champion’s Mind, because human nature will always try and creep in and try and get us to:
Ask: “What do I stand to lose?”
Think: “I’m doing my best,” “It’s in my genes,” “I have to be perfect.”
When we need to be asking, “What do I stand to gain?” and thinking: “I’ll find a way,” It’s in my power,” and, “It’s really only the 1-2 things that matter.”
When I reference the Monkey Mind, I am really referencing the Human Mindset.
Hopefully you can see how we’re always at war with it.
And how important it is to continue to diligently develop the skill of recognizing when it creeps in and override it with our Champion’s mind.
The Human Mindset Vs The Champions Mind with Dr. Spencer is part of an intensive in the Guardian Academy called “Peak Performance and Productivity - Dr Jeff Spencer Intensive”3
I suggest making the time to watch and rewatch everything in the intensive. Even if you just stick to the free stuff, it can be a game changer.
Onward
Nic
PS. The real war on the Monkey Mind starts when you take the battle offline. In person events and reading tangible things like books are far more effective at keeping the Monkey Mind at bay. That’s why I launched The Letter.